Gymnastic implement



E. LINTHOUT GYMNASTIC IMPLEMENT March 14, 1961 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed May 7, 1956 Fur.

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GYMNASTIC IMPLEMENT Filed May 7, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

ERWIN LINTHOUT .9 52 GYMNAS'HQIMPLEMEN'I;

" E t h L ut M mes l s bigjliljvd; deis eisjs'e, Monte"Car-lo, Monaco)' Filed May 7,"195 6,;Ser.No. 583,296.. Claims.prio1'ity,.application France May. 14,. 1955 t scia s. ems-s81 The present invention relates" to a gymnastic imple-' ment provided with an indicator for indicating'the progressrealized in gymnastic exercises; 7 f

Various species of gymnasticdmplement'sare Known,

some of them provided with indicators, but these impl'e ments are constructed in view of one special sort of exercise andcannot be applied successfully to other exercises. V

The invention has for its purpose the construction of' a substantially uniform implementwith an indicator for several different. exercises. .Such purpose is realized in that a bow-shaped 'ela'sticresilient 'rea'c tion ele'rnent receives the physieal' effort andisprovide'dwith an indicator,.so that to this basic member various, force transmitting organs may be corine'cte'dl' f l I Z.

:llieinterchangeablefofce transmitting organs. are. of special construction'for each "gymnas'tieexercise,

With the: above and other objects? in View", certain preferred "e'rntiodiments"areshown in the dr'aw'ingsin which:

Figure l is a side-view with parts'in section of one form of theinvention.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the index finger.

used in the construction of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the clutch cooperating with the index finger.

Figure 4 is a modification of the construction shown in Figure 1, and

Figire 5 is a side view of another modification.

Fig. 1 shows a gy'mnastic implement according to the invention consisting substantially of a bow-shaped reaction element made of an elastic resilient material. To this reaction element two converging bars 2 and 3 are connected to which two slightly diverging rods 4 and 5 are also connected. I

Even in this very simple form the implement may serve to execute gymnastical exercises, for example for training of the hand muscles. For this purpose one hand may draw both handles 4 and 5 nearer to each other notwithstanding the elastic resistance opposed by the bow shaped reaction element 1.

In order to attain a methodical training by means of gymnastic exercises it is indispensable to control the progress realised. For this purpose it will be advantageous to use the indicator device illustrated in Fig. 1 which transmits the elastic deformation of the basic member 1 to a moving index finger 21 by means of the 2,974,527 E t ri s r: .1 fi

provided: with arediiced fl portion as shown in the middle meteor-in Figure 31 The leverfitl is fixed adjacent the pi'tfltiifig' 'tioli 5 at 71 and is pivoted at 72 to the index finger 21. The fixed position at 71 may just aswell be mere1y "1to keep {the "index finger 21 from flopping loosely? about;

'Naturally, the dilferent gymnastic exercises do not belong to" the same force radius. Thislast'varies further in; dependence with a'ge, sex, physical constitution and even'with the'flper'forrn'ers profession. The maximum of eiforts comprised within a graduation depend s'from the leverage between the reactio'ii element 1 and the'moving index "finger 21. The greater the force radius, the less exact the graduation. Therefore it will be ad- 7 visable, beside a graduation for very large force radius,

a certain graduation' has been attained or not.

embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, said signal device" toprovide for smaller; but more precise graduations. For this purpose, the leverage can be altered by moving a c l utch 29 mounted displ a'c'eably on the index finger 21. .In many a case it will be advantageous to utilize a signal device allowing a precise verification whether In the cornprisesslots 34 and35 in the dial 22 having stops 33 therein. I Said" device" is also provided with a small lamp 36a.

moving "iiidex finger 21' contacts a stationary stop 33 small levers 19 and 20. The magnitude of the displayed effort is read from a dial22. The dial divisions may be chosen empirically. For example the displayed eifort may be measured in pounds. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the graduations 23, 24 and 25 on the left side may serve to indicate the displayed effort for separating the rods 4 and 5, whereas the graduations 26, 27 and 28 on the right side should measure the displayed etfort in order to draw the rods 4 and 5 nearer to each other. The lever 19 is pivoted at 70 adjacent the prolongation 4 and at its other end is pivoted by the bolt 49 which is the following electric circuit is caused: V n Negativepoleofbattery 3 7 spring 40 scr ew fastening gander zl estation ary' stop 33' dia 1'. 12 2 j fl r t sa ldibef ast bxinsr t sa 1S Is -6f the: i p'leirfen't y y indexfihger-ZI is provided with' hols44', 45 and fli -as shown-particularly'inFigures l and 3 'ar'id the'se holes are connected by the slots 47 and 48. The displaceable clutch 29 hinged to the end of the small lever 19 has a bolt 49 having a lower cross section corresponding to the cross section of the holes 44, 45, 46 and a somewhat smaller upper cross section (Fig. 3). Between the index and the upper part of the clutch support springs 50 are intercalated through which the bolt is inserted into the holes 44, 45, 46 with its larger cross section which makes it stop, so that the clutch is perfectly locked. In order to modify the leverage, the bolt 49 is caused to pass from one hole of the index 21 into another. [For this effect, it is required to lower the clutch 29 so that the smaller upper cross section of the bolt 49 is inserted into holes to permit the passage through the slots 47, 48.

Fig, 4 illustrates a second embodiment of the basic member of the invention. In this example, the branches of the basic member are hinged to the handles 51 and 52. The hinges allow, likewise the telescopical sockets, the adaptation of the implement to hands of whatever size by using one single pair of handles.

Moreover, a suitable regulation of the handles 51, 52 in relation to one another allows the training of certain parts of hands or fingers in a higher proportion than that of other parts.

The hinged handles must be able to be stopped in various positions. Considering the high rotating strain by the special application of the implement, a screw 53 will generally not be sufficient to prevent the rods from rotating. Therefore the contacting surfaces of the handles 51, 52 and of the branches 2, 3 preferably should have rugosities or some other connection reliefs.

Instead of a visible signal device there may be used as well an audible one as shown in Fig. 4. In such case an elastic hammer 55 with an extending member 56 is engaged in the trajectory of the moving index finger 21.

According to Fig. 4 the leverage of the indicator is provided at the point 70 or 72.and the purpose'thereof a batteryf' 37 with leading wires 38 and 3 9. If the index finger 21 for receiving the end 58 of the small lever 19.

-A higher degree of regulation and adaption is obtained by combining telescopical and rotatively mounted rods. By the use of such a device there may be attained a better utilization of the implement for outstretching exercises.

As shown in Fig. 5, the handles 51, 52 are put into 7 having a plurality of scales thereon for measuring differ ent values of the deformations in said are shaped member, an index finger cooperating with said scales, a first lever pivoted upon said member adjacent one of said prolongations and pivotally secured to said index finger, a second lever pivotally secured to said index finger at a point spaced from the pivot point of said first lever to said index finger, said second lever being fixed to said are shaped member at a point adjacent the other prolongation and said index finger having a plurality of holes therein in which the end of one of said levers is selectively releasably pivoted to modify the leverage between said levers and said index finger.

therewith may have any desired profile and are preferably 5 which is advantageous for transportation. For traveland especially for expeditions the implement is no considerable impedimenta.

While illustrative embodiments of the inventive idea have been described herein in detail, it will be understood that the scope of the invention is not. limited to such embodiments otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

WhatI claim is:

1. A gymnastic implement provided with an indicating device comprising an elastic resilient are shaped member, spaced prolongations upon the ends of said are shaped member extending away from the convex side of said member which when moved toward or away from one another will cause deformations in said arc shaped memher, a scale dial secured to said are shaped member 2. A gymnastic implement according to claim l wherein a clutch is slidably mounted upon said index finger to which one of said levers is pivotally secured and means are provided for releasably securing said clutch to said index finger at a selected one of said holes;

. 3. A gymnastic implement as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for releasably securing said clutch to said index finger comprises slots upon said index finger interconnecting said holes and a pivot bolt for said one of said levers secured to said clutch and having a reduced portion for traversing said slots to move from one hole to the other and resilient means upon said clutch to maintain said pivot bolt in one of said holes with the reduced portion thereof away from said slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 300,473 Hinden June 17, 1884 796,358 Rosenfield Aug. 1, 1905 2,132,862 Pilates Oct. 11, 1938 2,523,352 Behr Sept. 26, 1950 2,707,950 Judovich May 10, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 148 Great Britain July 5, 1909' 

